


One Night in Bangkok, Handful in Paradise

by HanHan_Solo156



Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Bar/Pub, Alternate Universe - Different First Meeting, Awkward Flirting, Drunken Flirting, Excessive Drinking, Fluff and Humor, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Pole Dancing, Sexual Tension, Vacation, holiday romance, travel fic
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-05
Updated: 2021-02-12
Packaged: 2021-03-17 06:48:55
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 9,032
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29221233
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HanHan_Solo156/pseuds/HanHan_Solo156
Summary: After several years of persuading his best friend Yuuri Katsuki to visit his home country, Phichit Chulanont takes his role as a host seriously when his friend finally pays a visit. On their first night in Bangkok, the duo ends up in a shady local bar where they bump into a group of Slavs - one particular of them refusing to leave Yuuri’s fragile mind.That is where the real adventures of his life begin.
Relationships: Katsuki Yuuri/Victor Nikiforov, Otabek Altin/Yuri Plisetsky, Phichit Chulanont & Katsuki Yuuri
Comments: 6
Kudos: 23





	1. Snakeblood

**Author's Note:**

> Hiya! \n__n/
> 
> As my creative mind is such a mess, after I watched this lovely series, I simply had to write something from these characters even though I have a million other writing projects waiting behind the corner. One day when I was cooking and listening to music, this idea of a holiday AU came to me like a thunderbolt. I haven't read any fics of YOI yet (but will surely do when I get this mess of an idea out of my head), so I just meddle into this fandom ruthlessly. 
> 
> My travel fever is going nuts during these times and this story shall be one of my coping mechanisms to deal with it. I have a huge story planned for this AU and if the muse is gentle, there will most likely to be continuation. I just tend to lose my interest quickly if there isn't any response, but right now, I just try to go with a flow.  
> The process of writing this was one of the best I've ever had and I hope the enjoyment is visible through the text too.
> 
> Some things about the characters:  
> * Yuuri and Phichit are 25 years old  
> * Yurio and Otabek are 21 years old  
> * Victor is 30 years old and Yurio's cousin as you might notice later in this chapter  
> * Whether they are figure skaters or not, shall be revealed later. :b
> 
> Have a fun ride. ~

~***~

_No matter how shit-scared you might be towards the unknown,_

_never let the opportunity slip away from your hands._

_A prize may wait for you on the other end._

~***~

_“Dear passengers, we have just landed in Bangkok! Please, remain your seatbelts on when…”_

While the sweet-voiced air hostess made an announcement, Yuuri rubbed his weary eyes and grimaced - his back was horribly rigid, and all the limbs in his body numb.

What a relief it was to get out of the stiff air of the airplane. 7 hours of sitting in funny positions, watching dumb movies, and failing miserably to nap - those were the main things that would come to Yuuri Katsuki’s mind if he had to describe how it was to fly for the first time in his life. 

Yuuri wasn’t the only one who was eager to get out of the stuffy airplane atmosphere: before the announcements allowed the passengers to get out of their seats, people were standing up, trying to get their luggage from the shelves. A lady with an oversized backpack - Yuuri could only wonder how she had even managed to sneak that in the airplane - almost dropped it to the man’s head sitting next to them. Ignoring their argument, Yuuri focused his gaze on what was happening outside. The day was breaking, the rising sun illuminating the dull terminal buildings and coloring them in different shades of orange.

_So this is it,_ Yuuri thought, the argument of the two passengers still as his background soundtrack. _First time ever abroad._ He wasn’t entirely sure whether he was excited or terrified of this - most likely, both at the same time.

Sometimes Yuuri was sure two different persons were fighting inside him: the one that he revealed to the outside world, the one that was shy and awkward and who’d rather stay safely at his parents’ spa business for the rest of his life. The other one, who didn’t show up so often, was adventurous, curious, and wanted to scream to the world: “Hey, look at me, I’m here! Notice me!” The one that craved attention and was even ambitious at times. 

But what connected his two conflicted sides was that both of them wanted to be _loved._ What a thrilling feeling it was to think that someone would call Yuuri only _his_ or _hers_. In secret, he was a hopeless romantic, the one who cried at fluffy romantic movies where two lonely souls finally ended up getting married.

_Sigh._ That dream was probably cursed to stay only in his fantasies. To his annoyance, Yuuri still hadn’t found - or even experienced - true love even though he was 25 already. Maybe he was one of those persons who never achieved anything and stayed alone at their parents’ for the rest of their lives. At least, if he was about to follow that path, it was going to be safe and comfortable.

_Safe and comfortable._ Those words summed up Yuuri’s life at the moment a bit too well. 

What was it he wanted? Maybe during these two weeks away from home would make the answers clear - or in the worst scenario, leave him with even more questions.

In his wistful pondering, Yuuri hadn’t noticed he was the only one remaining in the plane. Blushing hard, he took his Pikachu bag - blushing even more when he realized how childish it was - and stepped out, being relieved to move his limbs and have some fresh air.

Next, he was going to spend nerve-wracking minutes in the security check, the guards in a mood of interrogating a first-timer in Thailand. Then it was finally time to get his luggage back. Dragging the Samsonite trunk behind him, already cursing why he hadn’t taken an actual backpack, Yuuri stepped out of the doors to the bustling of the main terminal. His eyes scanned for a familiar figure, but the crowd seemed to blend into only one big, bustling mess. 

Holding his bright yellow Pikachu backpack in his arms Yuuri watched people come and go before his eyes, none of them the ones he desperately wanted to find.

_Where is he?_ Yuuri kept asking in his mind, searching and searching but didn’t see the man he was supposed to meet. What if he didn’t find him, what if he had to find their hotel by himself, what if…?

The uprising panicking pondering was interrupted when arms entwined Yuuri’s waist, followed by an exclamation familiar for their countless video calls: “Suuuuurpriiiise!” 

That second, Yuuri wanted to scold the man who had almost caused a heart attack for him, but instead he dropped the backpack and screamed in a high-pitched voice that turned into a genuine burst of laughter. Turning around with a wide smile, Yuuri took his friend into a warm embrace. “Phichit-kun! Dear Lord, it’s been ages, good to see you!”

“Welcome to Thailand!” his friend yelled while they embraced each other tighter.

Phichit’s and Yuuri’s paths had crossed ages ago in high school when a shy Thai boy had been an exchange student in Japan for one year. The two had found their similarities and had become good friends since, both of them sad of the fact that one year flew quicker than expected.

“Promise me, you will visit me in Thailand,” Phichit had said in the airport when they had departed - and Yuuri had kept his promise: eight years later, the two friends had finally reunited in a cheerful mood that was totally opposite of that evening of their separation when the two had shed tears in secret.

Withdrawing from the embrace, Phichit was beaming from head to toe when he took his friend’s trunk and started walking towards the elevator to get out of the terminal. “How was your flight?”

Almost forgetting the Pikachu bag on the floor, Yuuri grabbed it and followed Phichit. He had to half-run to catch up with his friend. “Long and boring, but bearable,” he managed to say behind his panting. “I can now understand why people dislike flying so much.”

“Too many bad movies for a lifetime?” Phichit asked with a smirk.

“Not only that but yeah, I think I’ve had enough of bad flicks for a while,” Yuuri replied with a burst of laughter. “Honestly, I have no idea who is responsible for choosing the movies for Japan Airlines, but the guy should be fired.”

Still the good mood vibrating around them, the two went to a parking hall and stopped by a small Toyota. Phichit threw Yuuri’s luggage to the back trunk and opened the passenger seat. He bowed. “Your ride is ready mister, just hop in,” he said in a ridiculously official tone, almost cracking up in laughter.

Yuuri raised an eyebrow and chuckled too at the act. “What is this sudden service? Do I have to pay extra tips for you?”

“Well, you are my guest, and my job here is to make these two weeks memorable.”

Shaking his head in amusement Yuuri didn’t have any other chance than to sit on the seat, the clutch in his stomach starting to tighten again despite the good laughs and joyful mood. An adventure was waiting for him. _Dear Lord, what have I promised…?_

Phichit started the engine and chatting in enthusiasm with his friend, he almost hit a fancy car behind them.

“Hey, watch out, I don’t want to end up in jail right at the start of my first trip ever!”

“Whoops,” Phichit mouthed and gassed out of the packed parking hall. Yuuri was more than happy he didn’t have to drive and had to admit, he would have probably done the exact same in the packed parking hall.

Just in case, Yuuri turned the one last time to check on the car behind his shoulder and sighed in relief when there wasn’t a dent on it. He turned back to his friend who was tapping his hands on the wheel along with the rhythmic pop music that was coming out of the radio.

“So, umm, where are we going exactly?” Yuuri asked and made sure his seatbelt was locked when they turned to the main road. 

“Don’t worry,” Phichit said and smiled with a mischievous glimmer in his eyes. “I have taken care of everything, so you just enjoy your first trip abroad!”

“Would still be nice to know what we are going to do, even vaguely.”

“Well,” Phichit said with a flick of a tongue when he headed for the first traffic lights. Yuuri’s head got dizzy while he took a glance at the million lanes on the road, cars honking in aggression. “Maybe I can reveal that tonight we are going to stay in Bangkok. I have a special place in my mind I want to show you.”

~***~

The first thing Yuuri learned in the new country was that Bangkok traffic was absolutely lunatic. Scooters, cars, people, and whatever creatures one could imagine, zigzagging in a grotesque harmony. Not only once or twice during their car trip - which luckily lasted less than an hour - Yuuri had screamed his lungs out while Phichit had just laughed and told his friend to relax. 

When Phichit stopped the car in a surprisingly relaxed area of the city, Yuuri exhaled and refused to do anything for a while besides concentrating on the fact he was still alive.

“Holy… what was... that?”

“Normal Bangkok rush hour traffic,” Phichit replied and jumped out of the car, to take his friend’s luggage out.

When they approached an apartment building with colorful graffiti on it, Yuuri had to ask: “We are not sleeping in a dorm full of partying European teenagers, right?”

“No worries, it’s a cheap hostel, but I booked a room only for us. But tomorrow, there will be something much better, I promise.”

“And you are still not telling me anything about the final destination?”

“Of course not, it’s our little adventure.”

The formalities at the reception went in automation and the duo reached the room that was not any bigger than a closet. The bathrooms were public, so what their room had was a fan, an old tv straight from the ‘90s, and a narrow bed. At least there weren't cockroaches running around.

Right after he had thrown his shoes away, Yuuri slumped on the creaky bed and wondered how could this miserable piece of furniture fit them two. 

Phichit was trying to get the tv working, but to no one’s surprise, the picture was blurry, resembling a snowstorm. “I’ll let you enjoy your nap now, but we’ll be on the go in the evening.”

Yuuri grunted in annoyance and lied on his side, propped up by one arm. “Okay then, what is it?” 

Giving up with the lousy apparatus, Phichit turned the tv off and sat next to his friend. “Everyone always thinks Thailand is a mere tourist trap, but my friend, I’ve decided to show you the real side of my country!”

“Very intriguing,” Yuuri replied in a dry manner, not able to hide the suspicious note in his voice. He lied on his back and put his arms under his head, his drowsy eyes forced to shut. “Just wake me up in time, okay?”

~***~

What felt like 10 minutes of sleep, Yuuri woke up when Phichit shook him from the shoulders and yelled in enthusiasm: “Wake up, Sleeping Beauty, time to go!”

Barely able to open his eyes, Yuuri fumbled on his glasses from a nightstand and asked: “How long did I… sleep?”

“Two hours.”

Before Yuuri could even say, “you gotta be kidding me” Phichit took his hand and smiled. “Let’s go. This is when your trip really starts!”

A brief look in the dirty mirror revealed to Yuuri how miserable he looked: straight from the bed, his black hair sticking out in all directions. Well, whatever, he assumed they wouldn’t stay long and he was not going to talk to anybody besides Phichit. It was just mere observing tonight and then he hoped he could just lie on a beach for two weeks.

Besides, no one was ever interested in him, so he could just blend in with the shadows. Just go with the flow.

_Get rid of your fears and embrace whatever may come._

As they stepped on the street and started walking, the plastic safety of the touristy world faded behind their backs. With the last screams of drunk British tourists watching football and being unholy loud, and leaving the last “Hey mister!” hawkers behind, the two friends entered a world that was much more rugged, scarier, but most of all, authentic than what people assumed Thailand was.

The alleys got narrower and narrower and Phichit took Yuuri’s hand. “Follow me.”

That was exactly what Yuuri was going to do: the last thing here he wanted was to get lost - he had to rely totally on Phichit. This was as far as he had gotten from the safe haven of his family’s onsen business. From the guests all around the world, Yuuri had heard crazy stories, but he, writing crazy stories about his own life? He had always thought it wasn’t a possibility, but here they were.

A flock of little kids watched them closely with their huge dark eyes when the two unknown guys hand in hand passed them. Yuuri flashed them a stiff smile and his friend greeted them in Thai. The kids screamed and started to follow them, Phichit only tightening his grip and fastening the pace.

The amazing odors from shady food stalls filled Yuuri’s nose and then he realized he hadn’t eaten anything after the airplane meal if you could even call something mushy and grey food. He would have wanted to stop and buy something exotic, but he didn’t dare when Phichit seemed to be so determined to lead them. If Yuuri was lucky, maybe his friend had read his mind and they’d head into an amazing restaurant with cheap prices. His mouth watered only by the thought.

Construction site workers with cigarettes in their mouths and plastic mugs filled with bitter local beer watched the two young men trying to dodge the hungry street dogs as they passed.

Before Yuuri was sure he would pass out because of the lack of food, sleep deprivation, and the hot humid air he wasn’t yet used to, Phichit stopped by a tiny grey building with a picture of a cobra with ridiculously big fangs. 

Yuuri’s eyes scanned the surroundings, and to his disappointment, it didn’t look like a restaurant. The locals’ gazes burnt his back and he gulped audibly. “You sure this is the place where you wanted to bring me…?”

“Yup, 100% sure this is it,” Phichit answered and slightly opened a big purple curtain that was acting as a door. “After you.” 

A thick cloud of tobacco smoke welcomed them and Yuuri had to hold his breath. Right after they had stepped in, everyone in that bar turned to stare at the duo. A bunch of guys were throwing darts in the corner but stopped their game to scrutinize the newcomers. In an inside circle like this, it was obvious they weren’t locals. Yuuri wiped his sweaty palms to his pants and wondered what on earth was in Phichit’s mind when they’d had to come to a place like this. Yuuri would have been perfectly happy with just watching tv and napping on his first day, but as his friend wanted to be an authentic local host, the action had started immediately.

Phichit greeted the customers in Thai which seemed to relax the atmosphere just enough for the guys to continue their darts game and the overall chattering to start again. Yuuri could only wonder what would have happened if he had stumbled into this place by himself, not knowing any Thai nor anyone knowing any English. In that case, the chances would have been that Yuuri would have ended up being the target of the darts game.

The duo sat by the counter and Phichit said something to the bartender who immediately disappeared behind a dirty curtain to a backroom. Yuuri’s stomach growled, but even though this place would have served something resembling food, he wouldn’t have dared to eat anything.

Turning to his friend Phichit asked: “So, you may wonder why on earth I brought you into a place like this.”

“You’ve read my thoughts.”

Phichit let out a burst of laughter and took the other glass of water the bartender had brought them. Yuuri looked at his own glass and for a second, all those warnings of drinking tap water abroad came to him. He was too thirsty though, so there was no other chance than to take a sip. Getting salmonella beat dehydration this time.

At the same time when they were drinking, Phichit continued: “The name of this place is ‘Snakeblood’. It’s not advertised anywhere, you just have to hear about it if you want to visit.”

_Ominous,_ Yuuri thought while shivers ran down his spine _._ “Where does the name come from?”

Phichit took the last sip of his water and placed the glass back to the table. Leaning closer to Yuuri, he whispered: “I assure you, the origin of the name will be revealed soon. Just wait and you’ll see something mind-blowing.”

Before Yuuri could even mouth a “what” two red shots were in front of them. Phichit started talking with the bartender, immersed in the discussion. The old man pointed at the drinks, laughed, and then bent his arm, patting his biceps. The laughter turned even louder after the gesture and Phichit joined him.

With confused eyes, Yuuri stared at the discussion even though he obviously couldn’t catch anything. The bartender nodded at the confused Japanese and asked something from Phichit who waved his hand and answered.

He then turned to Yuuri and pointed at the shot glasses at the table. “So when you think about the name ‘Snakeblood’ and look at this drink, what comes to your mind?”

The bloody red hue didn’t leave any questions. _Could it be true…?_ “So, this is… it? For real?” Yuuri poked the glass, studying the deepest red he had ever seen.

“Yup,” Phichit replied and leaned back with a wide grin. The bartender was watching the duo closely when they talked in English. “This place is famous in the area for this special shot. All the ingredients aren’t revealed, but at least what he told me is that it has homemade moonshine, blood from a real cobra, and a surprise local herb to boost the effect. You know, to get it into your head faster.”

“What does that ‘effect’ mean, exactly?”

When Phichit was about to answer, the bartender said with a thick accent English: “Manpower.” He once again patted his biceps, flashing his half-rotten teeth at the same time. “Make you strong with women.” He added a wink as a clarification and Yuuri was sure he could throw up if he wasn’t still watched so closely here.

Looking at the victorious bartender and the drink in front of him, Yuuri processed in his messy head what to do next. Everyone here clearly wanted to see the reactions of the foreigner who had intruded to their bar. Maybe they were scared that this one little Japanese man would bring all his friends here, ruining the last remains of the authentic atmosphere. Yuuri couldn’t blame them - most of what he saw quickly of Bangkok resembled a theme park for tourists.

Yuuri gulped and his lower lip quivered. Conflicting voices talked in his head.

_Don’t do it, it could be dangerous. You don’t know anyone here, so who cares? Maybe you could joke it over and leave early to sleep finally. The beach waits for you tomorrow!_

The other, darker one, whispered conflicted thoughts in his head: _All your life you have always avoided doing anything interesting. You have just disappointed everyone. Do you want people here to be disappointed too?_

_Stop being a fucking pussy and just let it go._

Yuuri had probably started at the glass in front of him for a good while because a worried expression flashed on Phichit’s features when he said: “Yuuri, of course, you don’t have t--”

But he didn’t even manage to end his sentence: Phichit’s eyes grew big as saucers when Yuuri took the glass and drank it in one go, not even blinking an eye. 

It was strong, bloody, and thick - something he had never tasted before. With a thump, Yuuri placed the shot glass back to the table and grimaced. The heat of it went straight to his head, clearing up his weary mind. The whole bar cheered and whistled and Phichit followed his friend too, not able to deal with the shot as fast as his friend though.

The dark voice inside his head patted Yuuri’s shoulder and whispered with a husky voice: _That’s the spirit. This is only the start. You are not at home, so who cares what you do? Enjoy your life, and stop being so dull and grey all the time._

_Release your inner demon. Seduce them with your charm you have been hiding this far._

“Another one, please,” Yuuri said with a pointed index finger. Even though he didn’t know English, the bartender understood the hint and went straight to his own Hell’s Kitchen to prepare the drink.

“What did you just do!?” Phichit exclaimed. He was the one who had wanted to show off, but he could never ever take more than one shot of this mad drink. “Do you realize what it was? The effect doesn’t come immediately, you should wait for a while for it to kick in!”

Yuuri turned to his friend and flashed a crooked smile. His gaze was already a bit blurry, yet it still was more because of fatigue than being drunk. “You said I was supposed to immerse myself in the culture, so isn’t it what I’m doing right now, hmm?” Only inches away from Phichit’s face, he added: “Just let me enjoy my life, at once.” Without noticing it, he repeated his inner little devil’s words who hummed in satisfaction.

The bartender came with another shot, and before no one could say anything Yuuri drank that too, just wiping his lips with his palm - and ordered a new one.

His mouth wide open, Phichit wasn’t able to say anything. What had happened to his normally so shy and reserved friend?

What on earth was going to happen next? 

When Yuuri was sitting by the bar counter, numbing his brain with the psychedelic beverages, he didn’t know that soon he wasn’t the only one honored to carry the title of a foreigner here.

Three men stepped inside the bar, one of them grunting out loud in his mother tongue: “How great, your idea of ‘seeing the nightlife of Bangkok’ ended up in this hellhole!” He held his nose. “This place stinks!”

The last man of the group smiled while he glanced around. “Yurio, don’t be so boring. Yes, I admit I probably misread the map at some point, but I think this time we have found something much more interesting than we originally planned.” He was the tallest of them, his appearance with gray hair and icy-blue eyes raising the interest of the customers. “So, are we gonna stay, or do you want to still walk for 45 minutes, just searching for a place where you could smoke and drink?”

The little angry man with blond braided hair, who had just been revealed to be named Yurio, crossed his arms and pouted. His companion was right: they had been walking a ridiculous amount in the narrow allies, and unlike Yuuri and Phichit, this group didn’t know where they had been heading. Another adventure in the dark streets in the humid air didn’t sound tempting.

The third of them entwined his hand around Yurio’s waist and whispered something that made the blond’s stiff posture relax.

Letting out a dramatic sigh, Yurio sat down on the first plastic chair he found and put his legs on the table that bent slightly from the weight. Fetching a cigarette from his pocket, he mumbled: “Fine. But this is the last time I’m letting you decide where we go, Victor.”

“My dear cousin, I think this will be something we are gonna talk about for a long time. If we would have just stayed in the touristy area with the British football hooligans I bet we would have gotten our asses beaten. Would you have preferred that?” His tone was playful and even from miles away one could recognize these two had known each other for years.

Yurio looked around, inhaling the bitter taste of the tobacco he had managed to light up. “And what makes you think we wouldn’t get beaten here?” he asked with a voice barely audible even though he was pretty sure no one happened to understand Russian here, deep in the urban wilderness of Bangkok.

Victor stood up and took a long step towards his cousin. “That’s very rude of you.”

“What?” Yurio answered while he held his precious cigar dangerously close to Victor’s sneaky fingers.

“To light up a cigarette and not offer it to your old cousin,” Victor replied while he snatched the roll from Yurio’s hand and placed it in his own mouth instead.

“HEY, FUCK OFF!” Yurio yelled while Victor was already taking steps towards the counter. His walking resembled dancing when he moved his hips in an elegant, feline way. Even though most of the customers of the bar refused to admit enjoying looking at men, this particular lost tourist had raised their interest with his exotic aesthetics.

The bartender had watched the new trio in curiosity - tonight some records had been broken as already four foreigners had stepped into his bar. 

Victor leaned on the counter, right next to where Yuuri and Phichit were still sitting. “Umm, hello,” he said, switching to English. He tried to glance at the wall for a list of drinks but what his eyes met instead were posters of cobras and colorful fabrics with Thai texts in them. “I’d like to have three beers, please,” he said and finished the stolen cigar, dumping it on an ashtray on the table.

The awestruck old bartender couldn’t handle this much tourism in his bar and looked at the handsome tall man with wide eyes. Victor remained calm and stared back. “You know just anything… to drink.” He tried to make gestures with his hands, but the attempted communication didn’t sink in. Maybe it was his over the top charm that managed to freeze the bartender.

Phichit and Yuuri - who was getting comfortably drunk by every passing minute after drinking three bloody shots already - looked at the incident. The latter’s eyes scanned the newcomer with something more than mere curiosity. He admired in secret the sharp jawline and nose - not even mentioning the nice tight ass that was sticking out when the man leaned on the counter in a provocative stance.

_Goddamn, where that sexy beast came from?_ Yuuri thought and without noticing it himself, giggled out loud, his hand fumbling something to drink to get more courage to start a conversation with this stranger. He was balancing right on the edge whether he would just let go, have the time of his life or remain his quiet, awkward self - and be disappointed once again.

Victor sighed when the bartender still didn’t react or even said anything. “Well, I guess you are not selling to foreigners then. I get it. Sorry for interrupting you, we’ll go somewhere else. Have a nice evening.”

Just before Victor was passing, a hand grabbed his arm followed by an eager exclamation: “Wait!”

Turning around, Victor saw a man with glasses staring at him with a hint of redness in his eyes that revealed he had been here for a good while. 

“My friend here knows Thai, he can help you,” the stranger said in English with an accent Victor couldn’t immediately recognize.

The confused Phichit blinked his eyes, then cleared his throat. “Oh yes, that’s right.” He talked to the bartender in his mother tongue who immediately went to the backroom, soon having three plastic mugs of something that distantly resembled beer.

Raising his eyebrows, Victor looked at the two young guys, the other one still holding his arm. “Thank you, that was... very kind.” 

“You… are… welcome,” Yuuri mumbled, cursing his trademark shyness coming to the surface when he let go and averted his gaze back to an empty glass on the table.

Even though he got his drinks, and had to encounter alcohol craving Yurio’s wrath because of this, Victor decided to remain on the counter. Some weird instinct just told him he _had to_ stay. Just to be polite, at least. “So, where are you guys from?”

His mind doing flips, a new outburst of self-confidence kicked in and Yuuri forced himself to look at the man. “My friend, Phichit-kun is Thai, but I’m from Japan!” he exclaimed with a grin.

“Ohh, Japan, cool!” Victor replied in genuine interest and turned his entire focus on Yuuri. “How did you end up here? Having a holiday? Or student exchange? Or are you the adventurous type, just having fun?”

Yuuri leaned closer and licked his lips, glancing at the man who seemed to be... interested in him. But why?

_No, he doesn’t like you, he is just being polite._ The conflicted personas started fighting again in his head.

_Fuck it whether he is or isn’t, just let yourself be on fire! Seduce him and if it doesn’t go anywhere, who cares?_

With an unnaturally husky voice, Yuuri decided whose side he was on tonight and said: “I’m dying to know the answer from you for the same questions, you handsome bastard.” He didn’t have the slightest clue where that came from, but what the heck? This could be his only chance. Shock always left an impact.

By itself, Yuuri’s hand moved to Victor’s thigh and caressed it. The latter man looked at the attempt of physical contact briefly but didn’t withdraw or say he was uncomfortable with it.

“Yuuri, what are you doing?” Phichit whispered to his friend but to no avail: Yuuri’s focus was totally on this stranger who had suddenly appeared out of nowhere. What was even worse was that he wasn’t satisfied with only talking to the newcomer, but he had to _touch_ him too.

Phichit gulped: they hadn’t been partying properly ever, and this new side of his friend came as an utter surprise. As it seemed there was no way to stop this anymore, Phichit decided his job tonight was to observe and make sure Yuuri wasn’t doing anything too dangerous or illegal.

Confusion flashed on Victor’s pale features when he cleared his throat, rapidly blinking his eyes. “S-sorry honey, but that’s a story too long to tell,” he stammered and Phichit noticed how he avoided looking straight at Yuuri’s demanding eyes. “But may I ask you your… umm, name?” The man had been so casual at first, but Yuuri’s straightforwardness had bewildered his cool too.

“Yuuri Katsuki,” the said man purred and without noticing it himself, leaned closer to savor the other man’s features. The hand was squeezing the thigh and Phichit rolled his eyes. He wasn’t sure if he wanted to see where this was going, but he couldn’t leave his friend alone either.

Something lighted up in Victor’s already insanely bright eyes and he dropped off the awkwardness, coming back to self-confidence. “Ahh, what a coincidence!” Relieved to have a justified chance to move his focus from Yuuri, he pointed at the two guys who had come in with him. “You see that blond guy there?”

Yuuri squinted and dropped the hand from Victor’s thigh. Not far away from them sat a blond in a tiger t-shirt with another guy sitting almost on his lap. They both looked too intimidating to approach - completely opposite compared to this charming stranger.

“That one there is my cousin. His name is Yuri too, can you imagine!” Victor exclaimed and waved. The other Yuri’s eyes narrowed and he responded with a middle finger.

Ignoring the rude gesture, Victor turned back to Japanese Yuuri and continued: “His nickname is Yurio and the gentleman sitting next to him is Otabek.” He leaned right next to Yuuri’s ear and whispered: “They are lovers so I’m kind of a third wheel here, if you know what I mean. Not so nice to share a room with them.”

Victor leaned back in his chair and took the first sip of his beer. In their weird duet of flirting, he was now confident enough to lock his eyes with Yuuri’s. 

Putting the beer mug back to the table, it was Victor’s turn to lean closer to his companion. He touched Yuuri’s hair, moving a single strand before the other man’s eyes. “You... had something there.”

A flush of empathy ran through Victor’s body when he noticed Yuuri shivered a bit at his touch. The man was so conflicted and Victor’s head swirled with thoughts when he tried to figure out what this new acquaintance wanted from him. Well, for one thing, Victor was sure: Yuuri Katsuki was goddamn pretty, with a mixture of innocence and some weird murky force Victor couldn’t quite put his finger on. He'd always been into guys with dark hair and eyes, so this was like a jackpot.

Victor licked his lips and closed his eyes - maybe he could just--

“You fucker dared to forget our beers,” an angry voice interrupted the next act and dragged Victor and their drinks from the counter.

Yuuri’s jaw dropped almost to the floor when he saw his namesake steal the well-started date away. Victor just looked at him apologetically when Yuuri slumped on the seat and cursed in silence. _I need to go to get to know this guy better, but how do I get rid of his companions…?_ his slightly jetlagged, drunken, and worst of all, infatuated brain, tried to process.

_And I didn’t even ask his name!_

Back at the other table, his cousin was mad as Victor had assumed. “What the hell took you so long?!” Yurio asked when he forced Victor to sit on a plastic chair, putting the three beers on the table. A bit of them spilled, leaving a sticky stain.

Hot rush on his cheeks, Victor raised a mug he had started earlier on his lips. His dreamy eyes drifted automatically to the counter. “Once in my life I manage to meet someone nice and then you ruin it. _Spasiba_.”

Yurio snorted and looked in the same direction as Victor. “You mean that weirdo who barely manages to stay on his seat?”

“C’mon don’t be so prejudiced,” Victor defended his new crush and placed the beer mug back on the table. The bitter, warm beverage tasted heavenly in these conditions - and he needed to get more intoxicated so this would do if nothing else. “Maybe drunk, but charmingly so.”

“What are you going to do then?” Yurio tried to sound annoyed, yet there was something else - curiosity, maybe even jealousy - behind his words. “Just a warning that you are not allowed to shag him in our room!” Otabek next to his boyfriend almost cracked up in laughter at the comment - during their trips, the couple had been busted a million times already by Victor. The idea of Yurio being disgusted that someday the roles could be reversed was hilarious. 

“I don’t know yet,” Victor placed his vague answer and put his hands under his chin when watched closely the two young men talking by the counter. _But you can bet I’m not leaving this place before I have figured out what is going on in that cute little Yuuri’s head._


	2. Are You Afraid of the Dark?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm positively surprised I managed to update this fic this quickly. I might even try to keep a semi-regular updating phase, unlike what I usually do it's either two chapters in a week or one in six months, lol.
> 
> Quite a wild ride it was to write this chapter and I feel so sorry for all the characters in the upcoming parts, but well... Bangkok is wild. I'm still super excited about this whole story though!
> 
> Songs that are playing/were the inspiration in this chapter:  
> [Snakeblood](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zeL8OuE48WA) The song that implanted the idea of this fic in my head. The whole aesthetics of the movie "The Beach" have been in my mind while writing.  
> [R U AFRAID](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MATnuCxKgFA) When Yuuri starts dancing.  
> [Revelations](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O3ip-dQeqzo) When Yuuri and Victor dance and flirt.

If it was even possible, the thick cloud of smoke in the Snakeblood bar tightened along with trippy music that had started to play. To the bartender’s enjoyment, for the first time in ages, the whole place started to be packed, filled with cheerful chattering of the crowd. What a cacophony it was when the people tried to overcome the music, but as more than half of the customers were drunk as skunks, the decibels didn’t matter.

For Victor, who was sitting by the same table with his cousin and his boyfriend still, the whole atmosphere was like a trip to the past: back to the old days when poor little Victor Nikiforov had spent ridiculous amounts of time in hellholes like these, convinced he was hippy and badass. For a 16-year-old, alcohol and smoking had been exotic fields to discover, a leap to the adult world, and later, a way to escape the dull chores of it: but for a 30-year-old, the same magic of those energetic youthful days wasn’t present anymore.

That _magic_ who had kept him still here was so close yet so far - Victor was sure that if there hadn’t been that one certain person sitting by the counter, he would have gone to sleep already. Yurio had accidentally ordered them scary-looking green shots and after Victor drank it in one go, he fixed his eyes on Yuuri again who didn’t notice him.

_What is so fascinating about him? Not only does he look good, but there’s something I can’t quite put my finger on. Inexplicable, but simply irresistible. Can only wonder how would it have been if…_ Victor glanced at his cousin who was deeply immersed in watching a video from his phone with Otabek. 

_...I could have given him a kiss._

Something was so funny that Yurio laughed like a hyena - but Victor didn’t join the fun and instead, gawked at the source of the noise. _Damn you, Yurio, and your never-ending craving for alcohol. Give me a chance to enjoy, for once._

A scary thought appeared to his mind: what if a second chance never came and Yuuri would disappear as quickly as he had arrived? Victor kept an eye on the said man who was in a cheery mood, slapping his friend’s back. Goddamn, Victor was sure he wouldn’t leave this shady place before he had talked properly to him - and hopefully, get his number too. Or an Instagram account. Or basically, _anything_. Any info would have been a gift straight from heaven in this desperation.

Yurio’s laughter subsided and he lit up another cigar at the same time when a glass jingled. “Is someone going to give a wedding speech?” he asked with a sneer that Otabek joined too.

Before he was able to reply anything witty back, Victor couldn’t help letting out a small yelp when he turned to look at the source of the sound. It was…

… _him. Of course._ Who else?

Victor’s interest in this place was sparked again. It was close to impossible to stay still, but he forced himself to observe the next act.

The enthusiastic tourist stood up from the chair by the counter and raised a glass in his hand. “Heeeeey!” Yuuri yelled and the bar cheered. “What’s up?!”

“Oh boy, here we go again,” Phichit muttered to himself, but as the demon was out running wild, he didn’t resist his friend doing whatever he had in his mind. Instead, he turned and flashed an apologetic stiff smile to a couple next to him.

Victor’s stomach did wild flips and he held his breath when he had heard that voice again. Soon, he needed to act if he wanted to proceed somehow. Screw what people would think. 

Tonight, he might make history - no, not him. _They._ It took two to tango, right?

“What the hell is gonna happen now?” Yurio grunted and inhaled his cigar. “Why is no one stopping that guy from embarrassing himself?”

“Shh, can you just once in your life shut your mouth?” Victor replied with an unusual injunction in his tone and the first time ever, the never-ending whiner stopped.

Yuuri stepped in the middle of the bar and leaned casually on a pole that was painted full of colorful tribals. “You guys enjoying your time here?” His voice was surprisingly clear compared to the percentage of alcohol that was rampaging in his veins. “You wanna see some serious shit?”

Another set of cheers and yells occurred - Victor joined as well when Yurio kept sulking, his arms tightly crossed. The young blond’s whole posture told that whatever was going to happen, he couldn’t care less while inside, he might have been interested - especially about that fact why his cousin was having hots for this stranger.

“That’s excellent to hear,” Yuuri replied and glanced around with glossy eyes, on purpose lingering on the moment when he was the center of attention. Last time that had happened five years ago, when he was still… _Oh shit._

Bad memories from the past flooded his mind: he, fallen on his butt on the ice, compassionate looks of the audience burning his soul; he, crying alone in the toilet of the sports hall; and he, drowning his sorrows in binge-eating and doing nothing but watching romantic flicks for the next year before he managed to get back in his feet again. _Fuck, why now?_ Yuuri swallowed hard. _No, it’s not the time to weep about your miserable life and the promising path you ended up failing._

_Never again._

Straightening his back, Yuuri watched the people there like a king looking down at his kingdom. No one knew whether the audience was with him or mocking the Japanese boy behind their backs. Either way, Yuuri couldn’t care less - the dark side had taken him completely in its embrace and he had every right to relish.

_You can do what you want. Screw everyone and everything._

The earlier chattering and music subsided - it was eerily silent while both Victor and Yuuri listened to their own frantic heartbeats in their own places. “Well then,” Yuuri said and clapped his hands when he called out over his shoulder. “Somchai, get the party started. Music, PLEASE!”

Victor’s eyes widened when Yuuri started to unbutton his shirt, revealing that he wasn’t physically in a bad shape. Not at all. Unconsciously, Victor licked his lips while he savored the sight in the dim lighting.

The shirt flew neatly in the air and on purpose or not, it landed right next to Victor’s feet. The now topless man winked for him when their gazes briefly met, dark eyes full of lust burning a hole into Victor’s soul. 

Words Victor had once heard somewhere whispered in his messy head: _Never refuse an invitation. Just keep your mind open and suck in the experience._

_And if it hurts, you know what? It's probably worth it._

That was the last sign: he knew what his next step was.

The music started - trippy dark ambient sounds filled the bar. “Fuck these, I don’t need them anymore,” Yuuri said with a self-confident tone, and in a perfect curve, threw his glasses to the trash. The bin echoed with a sound of shattering glass.

Still unable to leave the same place, poor Phichit hoped he could have vanished into thin air and facepalmed hard - nevertheless, he decided that if his friend would take his pants away, maybe at that point he would meddle. Only maybe. Yuuri was an adult after all and knew what he was doing - right?

_Are you afraid of the dark?_ the question in the song, suitable for the situation, filled the bar.

“Everyone, watch this. _Closely_ ,” Yuuri said before he started to move his hips in a tentative way.

As he had on purpose given up his aid for vision, Yuuri’s world went even blurrier than before. He squinted hard and tried to concentrate on figures around, but everything just remained vague even though how hard he tried. He decided not to care - it was easier to proceed when you mentally and physically forgot the world around you. 

With an elegant movement, Yuuri swept his raven-black hair back and closed his eyes - he couldn’t see anything, so it was the same if he just remained like this for the rest of the evening. Using the pole as his support, Yuuri started dancing around it.

Yurio couldn’t hold himself together anymore, and started his typical babbling: “Oh Jesus, I can’t believe this. Did he really have to use the fucking pole too? Good luck with the bruises tomorrow.” His eyes fixed on the dancer, he didn’t note that Victor next to him was about to stand up. “What an idiot, I can only wonder how miserable the next morning will be. First of all, he broke his glasses and clearly can’t see shit. Secondly, he will embarrass himself completely with that attitude. What a moron, I can’t…”

All that went to deaf ears when Victor threw his blouse to his cousin’s arms and made a way through the crowd, only a single goal in his mind. If anything, _this_ was the chance of the night.

Both Yurio and Otabek looked at the piece of clothing and then at each other. The latter shrugged and said: “Did you see how much he drank already? Should we be worried?” 

Yurio slumped back to his chair and threw the bundle of fabric to the floor. “I have no clue, but I’m not willing to watch this sober.” He rubbed his forehead and averted his gaze from Victor on purpose. “Please, get me something to drink, love. ”

Back on the heat of the dance floor, Yuuri was focusing on his moves so eagerly he didn’t at first realize someone’s hands slid down from his waist to his hips before they squeezed him gently. The first thought was that it was Phichit trying to stop him, so Yuuri ignored it and shook off the grip.

But the hands wouldn’t leave Yuuri’s hips - instead, they grabbed him tighter in their embrace.

“Phichit-kun, leave m--”

“I apologize for being so rude earlier,” a low voice whispered right next to Yuuri’s ear, revealing it wasn’t his friend who was interrupting his actions. “But you stunned me so completely I even forgot to introduce myself.” 

Wild butterflies started dancing in Yuuri’s belly and he froze. _It can’t freaking be…_ He had to snap his eyes open and when he turned around he was face to face with a man he recognized even with his lousy eyesight.

“Victor Nikiforov,” the topless man said beaming brightly as ever, “all yours tonight, sweetheart.” The “I’ll pour honey into your ear, bitch” -Victor was back in business, newly fueled by the mysterious alcohol beverages of the dark alleys of Bangkok.

Without the aid of the earlier shots, Yuuri would have shitted in his pants in a situation like this. That wasn’t the case now: with the promised given new erotic powers, he leaned closer and let his finger trail on Victor’s neck when he replied: “Pleasure to meet you, _Victor_.” He stopped on the pulse that was pleasantly as frantic as his own and savored the moment. The timbre of the newly learned name vibrated on the tip of his tongue - Yuuri loved how it tasted like the finest sake in his mouth.

And he would have wanted a taste of _something_ else than just the mere name as well.

“Yuuri Katsuki?” Victor asked when he was still holding the other man from his hips, their bodies swaying in sync along with the rhythmic music. “Does my memory serve me right?”

“Maybe, maybe not,” the said man placed his mysterious reply.

“You were Japanese at least, right?”

Yuuri tilted his head like a puppy dog and kept his mouth slightly open when he was thinking about something to say back - but that insight never came. Instead, he was staring like an idiot at the illegally sexy sight in front of him.

Moving even closer, Victor took the lead in the discussion then. “I have to admit I, unfortunately, know only two words in your language.”

“Ohh, a man of many oral talents then?” Yuuri said and huffed a bit too loud laughter. “May I ask what words do you know?”

The laughter was like the best music ever in Victor’s ears - his skin was on goosebumps. “Hmm, let’s see, the first one is...” he mumbled and placed an index finger before his lips. “Kawaii.”

Yuuri’s eyes ignited in excitement for the familiar word. “Ah, sugoi!”

“And the other one is,” Victor started and looked at his dancing companion with a mischievous look, “ _hentai_.”

Eyes wide like saucers, Yuuri stepped back and stared at Victor, trying to comprehend had he heard correctly. “Do you know what... that means?”

“I might have a clue, yeah.”

Yuuri flicked his tongue. “Sooo,” he said with a weird high-pitched tone, “with which word would you describe _me_ then?”

Lingering on the moment on purpose, Victor placed his hand on the back of Yuuri’s neck and pecked his earlobe. “So far as much I know about you, I’d say… _both_ suit you very well _._ ”

_Due to some violent content, parental discretion is advised_ , the lyrics of the song fitted in a perfectly weird way to the situation.

The whole bar was witnessing the incident that was taking a bizarre erotic direction, but the two didn’t mind. They were lost in their own world, lost in desires of their dreams that had never before had a chance to come true; dreams they had given up, but now with the new courage in a foreign territory, they were coming back to the surface.

Without knowing it consciously, they both wanted the same thing: to mean something to someone special. This random encounter only managed to push them closer. One could even ask, was it a mere coincidence, or had the universe decided these two were supposed to meet in the most unlikely place possible?

The duo continued their dancing after the slight bafflement. “You know that only thanks to you,” Victor said and placed his hand on Yuuri’s back, “I admit I’ve had a bit of a difficult time tonight here.”

Shivering for the touch, Yuuri raised his eyebrows and pretended he was shocked. “And what are you blaming me for?” All the time, there was a playful grin on his lips, reaching the corners of his eyes. He was still unable to hide the fact that he was more than proud to be called both kawaii and hentai - quite a perfect summary of his persona.

Victor took his chance and let his hand trail lower, almost touching Yuuri’s nicely shaped ass. “I didn’t realize at first…” he started and glanced at his dancing companion from head to toe when they were still moving along with the music. The song had already changed without them noting it. “How absolutely... stunning you are.”

With that intimate opinion thrown in the air, the two men studied each other’s features, exploring a new adventure that was waiting for them if they just had the guts to fathom it. 

Just before the silence was about to make him too emotional, Yuuri threw his head back and burst out into laughter. “Hah, save your sweet talk for later, sugar.” He stepped back and entwined his leg around the pole. “After all, I came here to make a show.”

Victor blinked his eyes, his incredulous stare fixed on the man in front of him. _So, you are the elusive type then, huh?_ Back in his wild days, he had been flirting a good amount but never seen a response like this before.

_This is only getting more and more interesting._

At the same time, Yuuri continued dancing on his own and got applause when he made acrobatic swings on the pole. He landed neatly on the floor, his legs stretched in an impossible position. On his face, he sported a competitive expression, like saying right in front of Victor’s face that _show me what you got, sexy motherfucker_.

That was a clear sign for Victor to choose his next step. Just when Yuuri had managed to get back on his feet and was bowing for the enthusiastic audience, his companion pushed him away from the spotlights. “You are not the only one who has the right to show off here.” He winked and entwined his leg around the pole too, spinning around along with the tight rhythm of the song that sounded like hits of a whip.

When Yuuri witnessed the bodily finesse in front of his eyes, he could sense something familiar in it even though he hadn’t met this man ever before in his life. The smooth moves, strong arms, perfect control of his muscular, yet slim, body - Yuuri was sure Victor was familiar with dancing. Could he even be a hidden professional?

That shall be revealed tonight, Yuuri decided.

Swirling, swirling on the pole Victor almost passed out but refused to give up now. 

_Are you impressed already, love?_ He thought in his mind and stopped the swirling, now his eyes locked to his companion.

With a smooth cartwheel, both the song and Victor’s performance came to an end and he stood next to Yuuri. The audience exploded in applause when the sweaty duo panted in front of them, hand in hand. On the counter, the bartender whose name had been revealed as Somchai was pouring drinks to the thirsty witnesses - the number of visitors was increasing still. It was surely a night of breaking records in many ways.

With his other hand, Victor was waving at his audience, flashing a shiny smile when a whisper right next to his ear interrupted his moment of triumph. 

“Now, it would be the right time to continue what you were about to do before your annoying cousin interrupted us,” Yuuri purred.

Turning to the suggestive voice, Victor pretended he didn’t know what he was talking about. “Oh, I must have forgotten what I was thinking back then. Can you be more precise, love?”

By the back of his neck, Yuuri pulled Victor closer and their foreheads touching each other, whispered with a hoarse voice: “ _Kiss me_ like it would be your last day on earth.”


End file.
